The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radio frequency switching devices and more particularly to a high speed microwave switch utilizing the multipacting phenomenon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although there has long been a need for fast acting, high power, RF switches, the only known type of switches utilizing multipacting consist of a single coaxial multipactor cavity. These devices are characteristically narrow banded and require mechanical tuning to achieve dynamic range. Comb-line circuits have been used to make broadband (&gt;12%) unbiased multipactor limiters, but not multipactor switches. A prior art multipactor switch of the type above mentioned is described in an article entitled "Duplexing and Switching with Multipactor Discharges" by M. P. Forrer and C. Milazzo, in Proceedings of the IRE, April 1962, pp. 442-450.